Title: Nothing Special
Author: A.E. Via
Genre: Contemporary Romance, M/M Romance
Sensuality Rating: Erotic
Source: Bought
Published: March 21, 2014 by Amira Press Publishing
Detective Cashel 'Cash' Godfrey is big, tattooed and angry so people typically keep their distance. He's fresh out of the police academy, however, no one is looking to partner with the six foot four beast with a huge chip on his shoulder and an inability to trust. When Cash scans the orientation room he wasn't expecting to find sexy hazel eyes locked onto him. Eyes of the handsome Detective Leonidis 'Leo' Day.
Leo is charming, witty, hilariously sarcastic and the only one that can make Cash smile. He’s proud, out and one bad-ass detective.
Together Cash and Leo become the most revered and successful narcotics detectives Atlanta’s ever seen. Able to communicate and understand each other, without even having to voice it, they quickly climb up the promotional ranks.
When Cash saves Leo's life in a raid that turns deadly, Leo begins to see something in the big man that no one else does…something special. But Leo fears he'll never break through the impenetrable wall that protects Cash's heart.
Nothing Special takes the reader through various emotions throughout the richly fulfilling plot that’s full of erotic gay romance, heartache, passion, trials and tribulations, police action scenes, and an intriguing twist that comes to an amazing ending that’s impossible to see coming.
Reviewed By: J9
In a Nutshell: I really liked this premise of cop partners becoming lovers but the novel quickly progresses to page after page of erotica with hole-riddled plot filling out the rest.
The Set Up: Detective Cash personifies the term “bad cop”. He’s shocked when new police officer Leo Day claims him as his partner. Over the next four years Cash and Leo becomes best friends and the best drug detectives on the force. Leo wants more from Cash than just friendship but Cash has emotional wounds Leo can only guess at.
Why I Read This Book: Loved the intriguing cover and the cop-partners-to-lovers synopsis.
What I Liked: I’m a total sucker for this trope and it worked here. Leo is the sarcastic out-and-proud cop but one who secretly pines for his best friend. I love when Leo remembers fondly how he and Cash would spend their weekends off together, watching football and Leo cooking while Cash fixed up Leo’s house; it’s like they’re a couple already but without the falling in love (or sex as the case in this book.) Cash is the mysterious lead with a troubled past and deep emotional wounds. I love this set up and think the author did a good job of the initially setting up the characters and their romantic tension.
What I Didn’t Like: I love erotica in my romance but it needs to be the frosting on the cake, not the frosting with very little cake. The emotional intimacy happens at lightening speed here and then the rest of the novel is endless sexual romps. Additionally, pure romance fans should know Cash and Leo don’t have a monogamous-normative relationship and this didn’t feel organic to their relationship as I would want but instead an excuse to add more peens.
Finally, the plot is full of holes and quick fixes. For instance, Cash has some deep family issues and he’s going to talk to them but before he can his brother finds something and suddenly that issue is fixed. The synopsis makes it sound like this is a police thriller but the drug raids merely set up more bedroom scenes instead of adding real suspense.
IMO: I wanted to love this book with its strong characters and good romance set up but it was just too much sex without enough plot or relationship progression to hold my attention.
J9’s Rating:
I think I'll pass on this one, though the synopsis had me wanting to read it.
ReplyDeleteSuch promise! And that cover!
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